Bossywings
by Cherry Burlesque
Summary: The Hero of Time has many stories written about him. His life, his deeds and his courage in saving the world he loved. But what of his companions? Legend says that he was always in the company of a tiny fairy, but no one knows for sure.
1. Prologue

The Hero of Time has many stories written about him. His life, his deeds and his courage in saving the world he loved. But what of his companions? Legend says that he was always in the company of a tiny fairy, but no one knows for sure.

I birthed this idea when I read a fic from another fandom. After trawling through the archives, I couldn't find a fic that satisfied this sort of idea, so I decided to write it myself. Follow Link's journey through Ocarina of Time from Navi's perspective as she guides him as best she can.

I've given her a personality that has drawn from both the manga and my own imagination. This fic is a blending of three things: The canon game, the manga, and some small creative liberties I have taken from points where there is very little information.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Prologue.**

_I don't know where I am…_

_It feels like I'm lost, but I can't tell. I'm missing something…someone. _

_Flashes of memory run through my mind of a life that seems like a dream. I can't tell whether I lived it or whether my mind made it up out of boredom. But…fairies shouldn't be bored, right? We've always got work to do. Always got someone to look out for. Someone to care for._

_Maybe that's why I feel like I'm lost. Did I lose the person I was supposed to care for?_

_I can't tell._

_The memories…they started weirdly at first. Really vague, sort of flashing in snippets here and there. But as time's gone on, I feel as though they're telling a story. I can't figure out if it's my life or not, but either way, I'm there._

_I'm always there._

_And so is he._

_The little blonde haired kid. He's always there. Sometimes he talks to me. Sometimes I'm trying to help him. Sometimes he's swatting me away telling me I'm annoying. _

_Sometimes I'm watching as he dies._

_I guess the best thing for me to do would be to try and make sense of them. Maybe it'll give me some answers. _

_Maybe I've just gone nuts._

_Either way, I guess it's something for me to do; to recount these memories as best I can while I'm left wandering in a world I can't make sense of._

_Maybe I'll find my way out._

_So many 'maybes'. Sometimes I get sick of 'maybes'. I've had so many of them since I woke up that I almost don't know which way is left or right._

_Maybe I'll die here. Maybe I'm insane. Maybe I'm just a figment of my own imagination. Maybe I don't even exist at all._

_It doesn't matter._

_What matters now is sorting out these dreams. I guess if they're really memories, they'll tell me why I'm here. I have a sense of purpose now. _

_Time doesn't flow properly here. At least, it doesn't feel like it does. So I could have eons to recount everything my mind has created. _

_My name is Navi. And these are my last known visions of a world I can't remember._


	2. Chapter 1

The world is a place of the unknown. Realms upon realms exist within one another, working against or in unison with each other to create a balance. Some are vast; expanses of land that have never been documented. Others are smaller than a deku nut and live right in the forefront of the mind.

For me, my world was the lush greens of a murky forest. I lived there for half of my life before it exploded into lands I'd never imagined could have existed side by side.

I can remember my family, just a little. We fairies are born into tiny communities as larvae, hatched from the seeds of a tree that stood for ages over the forest in which we resided. While young, we're taught the way of the world and what is destined for us.

As we come of age, perhaps around five or six seasons (there are four seasons within a cycle, so we're still only very young at this point), we are given our duty.

In the forest in which we are born, there's a community of children. How old they are, no one has ever really known, but as I grew, I learned that they were a myth to the outside world. My knowledge now tells me that these children remained almost half the size of other races, though to us they are still mammoths.

Our tasks as fairies is to care for these children. To be their guides as they live together in harmony. A voice of reason, I suppose. Children can be willful, and it was our job to keep them safe.

My sisters departed for their children as they came of age, and each time a fairy left our colony there would be a ceremony. We'd celebrate their achievements so far, bid them luck that they would have a friendly pupil, and escort them to the edges of our haven where they would make the journey to their Kokiri's home.

Fairy parties were great. Oh man, they were so much fun. When I was only three seasons old, I remember one of the older of our colony departing for a Kokiri that was well known to be brash and bossy. Mido, I think his name was. Because we knew she'd have a hard task ahead of her, we partied for days to fill her with good will and happiness so that she might overcome the obstacles. There was tea brewed from the fallen, dried leaves of our guardian, berries of all sorts of colours that were distributed without any kind of abandon, and music that I recall was fabled to lead unwitting men to their deaths when they heard it.

Most races would find that morbid.

We celebrated. If our music was so enchanting as to lead someone off course, it was something to be revered.

We'd have races, tell stories and get drunk off of the fermented fruit borne of a deku baba.

I don't know if you've ever seen a drunk fairy. If you have, you probably know what it's like.

Hilarious, to say the least.

On one occasion, I recall my sire, the fairy who helped clean my wings when I hatched, bumping endlessly into anything that would get in her way. She would gibber and laugh and try and make music with her wings, and eventually ended up falling out of the tree. Three of her larvae had to catch her before she hit the grass below, and our guardian scolded her for her recklessness.

We giggled endlessly over the story, and it was a source of embarrassment for her for a long time.

You might be wondering why an older fairy like her remained behind, when so many others left to care for children.

You see, like any society, we had different tasks handed to us by our guardian. Some fairies were maternal, and were tasked with the duty of guiding and teaching the larvae the way of the world as we knew it. There were few of them, but they did their jobs well.

Many fairies were bred for the duty I came to be tasked with; to care for and love a Kokiri child throughout their life.

Others hailed from different areas, sent off by the Deku Tree to find the Great Faeries. Some would serve their lives as healers there, nurturing their abilities for the time they would be needed to revive or preserve a life. It was always a huge source of celebration when one of those fairies departed for the hidden fountains of their kin. We knew that we'd never see them again; their lives nothing more than a noble sacrifice for one who would need their magic.

There were tails that through the lost woods there was another world, where some fairies ventured when their children eventually passed on. Fairies there were willful and disobedient, and tended to live their lives by their own accord.

As a whole though, we fairies were deeply communal. We loved one another equally, sisters entwined with the fate the goddesses blessed us with.

My own fate wasn't to be decided until I was nearly seven seasons old.

I don't know whether I was a difficult person. My memory of my days as a larvae were hazy. At the waning of the first moon of our lives, we would spin a coon of silk and spider webs and spend as long as needed in slumber until we would reawaken with all the abilities of our destiny's choosing.

When I awoke, I was four seasons old. I'm told it was the longest hibernation in the living memory of fairy lore. Hindsight tells me it was necessary, but at the time I was a source of intrigue among my sisters. I didn't know what abilities I was given during my hibernation; I simply awoke with fully functional wings and a keen sense of the world around me.

Perhaps it was arrogance on my part, or maybe pride, I don't know. But I was certain that soon after I awoke I'd be sent off to care for a child whom no other fairy could handle. That I'd be a source of awe and inspiration for my kin due to my wondrous abilities to reason with a child who listened to no other.

It's ironic that my life became just that, though not quite the way I had imagined.

When I turned five, I watched my sisters depart, ready for the next stage of their lives. I was certain that soon my time would come, and one of the endless parties would be for me.

By the time I was six, my surety was beginning to diminish. I watched sisters younger than I leave for their destinies, while I remained with the Great Deku Tree. That would not have bothered me had I been chosen to be a caretaker for the new young hatching every full moon, but I was never told.

I remember asking the Deku Tree why I was left behind.

He told me to be patient and that my time would come.

Still, I could feel within myself a deep welling resentment, as each eve parties would be thrown for my kin. I never showed it, however. I was always cheerful to them, genuinely happy that their lives were taking their course. But I guess even beings of lore aren't immune to feelings of inadequacy.

I felt like something was wrong with me for a long time. That perhaps my extended hibernation had broken something in me that meant I was always going to be a lost fairy without a destiny, living her life with the Great Deku Tree.

Little did I know that, on the eve of the change of seasons, my life would become so much more than anything my kin had ever known.

I remember it clearly.

The night was blanketing the grove with its caress, stars singing to us from the sky. The new larvae were having their wings cleaned by their sires, and sisters were preparing for the next stages of their lives as they would any other day.

I had been residing in my perch; a simple knot of wood laid out with soft grasses and silk I had collected throughout the meadow. I was not a heavy sleeper by any means, but this night I could barely doze. I felt something sinister in the air, and it unnerved me. When I drifted down to speak with one of my sisters, she told me I was being rash. I didn't realize none of them could sense it.

Perhaps if I'd done something sooner, I could have made things different. But my destiny was already determined, and after conversing with my sister, I decided to return to my perch.

The first shudder through the tree made me lose my balance slightly, and I let out a surprised jingle at the feeling. I could hear my sisters surprise as well, and we convened together to make sense of it.

It was during that small meeting that the second shudder shot through the tree.

"Can't you feel it?" I whispered to my kin.

They all gave me a look of incomprehension, and it dawned on me then that they couldn't.

"The feeling…something evil is in the air," I said, jittering nervously about the branch we were perched on.

"Navi, be still," my sire called to me. "I'm sure it's just the deku nuts falling early."

"Deku nuts don't fall like that," I replied, trying hard to keep myself in one spot. "It's too early in the cycle anyway; the leaves are still green. Something—"

I was cut off as a third shudder ripped through the tree. Several fairies keened as they lost balance, and we rose into flight as the leaves around us shook and rustled.

Dread filled my being when I felt the darkness descending on us. It was unnatural, it made my skin crawl and my hair stand on end.

It was then I heard the Deku Tree's bellow.

_Thy foul evil is not welcome here! Leave this place!_

"Deku Tree!"

My sisters cries as I shot away from them were drowned with the deafening noises of wood being ripped into. I was horrified, but I would not stop until I was able to find out what was going on. My sisters remained in their perch, too frightened to follow me as I wove my way through the trembling branches.

"Deku Tree!"

I shot out into the open air, prepared for the worst.

As it were, the worst was not even close to what I had imagined.

There was a foul, keening being scratching at the wood at the base of the tree. A hole bigger than my entire coven was opened up, only growing larger by the minute.

I screamed.

"_Great Deku Tree!_"

_Navi! Keep your distance!_

I stopped as he ordered me away, utterly helpless as the foul, spider-like thing kept eating at him. I could feel my whole body trembling, terrified of what this thing was. I had never seen nor heard of anything like it before, and all I knew was that it kept its single, bulbous eye firmly shut while it devoured the roots of the tree.

I don't know how long I was there for. Eventually, the thing disappeared entirely into the hole it created. I had a mind to follow it, but was ordered by the tree to stop. The hole closed eventually, and the smell of decay filled the air.

An eerie silence fell in the meadow. I could see my sisters popping their heads out of the branches of the tree, their eyes wide with terror.

_Ugh…I cannot stop it…_

"Great Deku Tree," I whispered, feeling my eyes prick with the heat of my tears. "What was that?"

_A great evil…one that even I cannot quell…_

"What do you mean? You can't be—"

_Hush, Navi._

I swallowed, still trembling as I felt the Tree's attention on me.

_Your time is nigh, Navi the Fairy._

"What?"

_There is a boy in the forest. He lives without a fairy. Bring him to me so that he may break this curse that has been set upon my life._

I could hear the fairies whispering, fear in their voices as they tried to come to terms with what was going on.

"But—"

_Now is not the time for explanations. Make haste, Navi. Find the boy without a fairy. May the goddesses be with thee._

There was no time for celebrations. None of my sisters knew what was happening, nor did I. But I had been given a task; one that had set the wheels of my fate turning.

Without a word, not even a goodbye to my sisters, I turned and shot through the grove.

_A boy without a fairy?_ I thought to myself as I zipped through the vines of the forest. _Who has ever heard of that? _

I stalled momentarily when I met the bossy Kokiri at the entrance to the meadow, but with quick words with his fairy and I was again on my way.

I had to stop for a moment when I entered the tiny village. We fairies didn't leave the tree unless we had received our calling, and as I had not gotten mine until now, I didn't know where to go.

It was probably a funny sight, seeing a frenzied fairy zooming around by herself without direction, but to me, I felt useless as I tried to find my way around. I bumped into things when I misjudged my flight, ended up in houses when a gust of wind caught me off guard and nearly toppled out of the air when I accidentally caught my wing on a wooden bridge.

_This is stupid, I'm not getting anywhere,_ I thought angrily to myself.

There was only one way to find out where to go.

I zipped over to a Kokiri child perched on the awning of one of the hollowed tree stumps, and asked for help.

"Navi!" The fairy called in recognition. She was younger than me, but I had no time for reunions.

"Alyiv!" I called to her. Her child gazed up at me with wide, startled eyes. I probably looked a fright, so I couldn't really blame her. "The boy without a fairy, where does he live?"

"Over there, why?" The girl Alyiv was charged with pointed in answer to my question, and I turned to find the house she was directing me to.

"Thank you!"

I was away before they had opened their mouths to ask what was going on.

By the time I reached the house, I was breathless and nearly worn out. But I didn't stop.

Through the entrance, I was met with the sight of a young blonde boy, probably only about ten cycles in age, fast asleep on his little cot.

"Hello!" I called to him. "I'm Navi, the fairy! The Great Deku Tree has summoned you!"

The boy mumbled in his sleep and rolled over.

"Hey, c'mon!" I shouted, flying around his head in agitation, "Don't be so lazy! Get up!"

Eventually he stirred and stretched as he rubbed his eyes. He was still half asleep when I started talking again.

"The Great Deku Tree has summoned you! It's urgent, he needs your help!"

He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, and I felt my frustration building.

It deflated with a shock though, when he made a grab for me.

"A fairy!" He shouted, nothing but pure glee in his voice. "A fairy finally came to me!"

"Hey!" I shrieked, dodging his hands and flying to the top of the hut. "Don't do that! Pay attention to me, you idiot!"

The boy shook his head, eyes wide. I couldn't fathom why, my only thought was that he was completely dense. Did the Deku Tree really trust this kid to save his life?

I learned later the reason he was so shocked.

"I'm sorry," he said after a minute. "I didn't mean to scare you, I just can't believe I finally have a fairy of my own!"

"I'm not your fairy," I retorted, and felt bad when his face fell. "I don't have a child of my own, I've been sent here to summon you."

"Why?"

I fought back a groan of irritation. Every second we stalled meant another second the Deku Tree suffered.

"Because, the Deku Tree is in danger. He sent me here because he needs your help!"

"My help? Why me?"

"That'll be my question too, when we get back to him."

He shook his head again, and stood up. Finally!

"Well," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, "I guess if he needs me, I'd better go!"

"'Bout time!" I called as I turned and flew from the house.

The kid followed me out, descending down the ladder to his home while I darted around with growing agitation.

"Geez, you're not really quick, are you?" I huffed at him, and left him behind.

I heard him call out to someone behind him as I flew ahead. Children everywhere stopped and stared at us, and it was then I realized that daybreak was upon us. I'd been flying around stupidly for a whole night! Argh!

We must have looked a sight, though, the boy without a fairy chasing one through the village, with me buzzing around like an angry bee trying to get him to hurry up.

Once more, we were stalled at the entrance to the grove.

"Ha, you think you can go see the Deku Tree?" The boy named Mido called as my charge approached. "He'd never summon the likes of _you_!"

Mido's fairy scolded him, but he ignored her.

"You can't go in there unless you have the proper equipment."

"What do you mean?" My charge asked. I hadn't even bothered to ask his name by that point.

"Mido, let them through," his fairy said, sensing my urgency. I gave her an appreciative look.

Mido huffed angrily, folding his arms and tapping his foot like a petulant…well. Child.

"I haven't got time for this!" I barked at him as loudly as my tiny fairy voice would allow. "Let us through! The Deku Tree summoned us himself!"

"Good grief," Mido said with a scowl. "I guess even if he _has _summoned you, a wimp is still a wimp, right?" He stalked off, trying to swat away his fairy who buzzed around his head with scolding words.

I didn't realize what Mido meant at that point, still too consumed with my task.

"Come on!" I called to the kid, who followed me silently.

Eventually, we made it back to the meadow. I was horrified at the sight I was met with. The Deku Tree had turned a sickly grey colour in the short amount of time I was gone, and fairies were buzzing about the canopy of his leaves in panic.

The situation was dire.

"Great Deku Tree," I called. "I'm back!"

_Welcome back, Navi._

His voice sounded frail, causing me even more distress. I flew forward and touched the bark by his gnarled face and recoiled almost instantly. The darkness consuming him emanated in such strong waves that I felt ill just being close, and I had to retreat again, floating around the top of the boys head as the Deku Tree focused his attention on him.

_Link, thou hast come._

Link, huh? Even by our standards, that was an unusual name.

I remained silent while the Deku Tree spoke.

_A great evil has befallen me. I have been cursed, and only you can break it._

"Why me?" Link asked again. "I'm not…I can't…"

_You can, _the Tree rumbled. _Long has thy destiny been waiting for thee. Thou must fulfill it. Break the curse upon me, and I shall tell you everything. Will you do it?_

Link visibly swallowed, and I tried to control my agitation as he hesitated. After a moment though, his expression set.

"Yes, I'll do it."

_Very well. Enter, young Link, and embrace your destiny._

I practically fell out of the air as I saw what happened next.

The Great Deku Tree opened up. I had never known he was capable of it, but I should have.

Where a mouth would have been on his face descended slowly, the darkness within spilling out for us to see. I could feel the putrid smell of decay coming from inside, and I nearly doubled back, too afraid to go in there.

Link, though, had more guts than I initially gave him credit for. His expression hardened, and he marched forward without a second thought.

"Wait," I hissed at him, fluttering down to hover in front of his face, "you don't have any weapons! I saw that thing eat its way through him. How are you going to fight it with—"

I stopped when I saw his smug grin, and he waved a funny looking device in front of me.

"Sling shot," he said confidently. "I made it myself. You coming, or not?"

I huffed and moved out of his way. "Yeah, I'm coming."

"Then lets go."

I won't admit it ever if anyone asks me, but I stuck close enough to him as we entered that my wings brushed his hat with every beat.

Slowly, the darkness enveloped us, and it was from there that we met the first obstacle in a ridiculously long line that our fate had handed us.


	3. Chapter 2

"Ugh, it stinks in here."

Link picked his way through the mottled cavern as our eyes adjusted to the light.

"It doesn't normally," I replied, hovering around him as I tried to get my bearings. "I mean, not that I've ever been in here before, but that smell only started up when that huge spider thing came here."

"Spider?" Link stopped and stared at me with wide eyes.

I grinned.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of spiders. Really?"

He flushed, and mumbled something I didn't catch.

"Well, we're always surrounded by them in the trees. They aren't so bad if you leave them alone."

"Didn't you say this one was gigantic?"

"Yup," I replied cheerfully. "Huge, and ugly too."

Link groaned, and continued his way through the dank cavern.

Here and there, rustles echoed through the gloom. It made us both skittish.

"I didn't know there were so many things living in here," I whispered, hovering by Link's pointed ear. "It feels wrong."

"Probably that curse he was talking about. If we—"

Link was cut off as the ground beneath us suddenly moved, throwing him off balance. I called out to him in fright, but he stood up without responding to turn towards what had caused it.

A deku baba, something that should have only grown outside the tree, had sprouted before us. It's ugly, gaping maw clicked together, preparing to lunge.

"It's only a deku baba!" I shouted, zooming around it while Link tried to get his bearings. "Get it in the mouth, it'll stun it!"

I watched as he aimed, and then zipped aside as the tool he'd made let fly a seed.

"Missed," I heard him hiss, and I flew back to him.

"C'mon, don't panic, it can't move farther than it's stem will let it. Just don't get too close or it'll bite."

Link aimed again, his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth, and let a second seed loose.

It smacked the baba right in it's open maw, causing it to reel in shock and sink back into it's little, budded roots.

"It'll get it's bearings in a sec," I said urgently, "come on, let's keep going."

The darkness only grew thicker as we made our way further into the tree. It was deceptively gargantuan to my tiny eyes, the inside seeming so much more vast than the outside.

"Where did you see the monster go in?" Link asked me after a few minutes of aimless wandering.

"Through the roots," I said. "It looked like it was burrowing downwards. Maybe if we find our way down we'll find it."

Link nodded, and exhaled heavily.

I cast around, trying to find some method of finding our way towards our goal. The darkness made it difficult for me to see, so I had to venture forth a little bit. I wasn't really happy about that, but beggars can't be choosers, right?

"There!" I called after a minute or so. "Over here, Link!"

I heard him trip on something as he scurried over, and tried to stop myself from snickering. I failed. He grumbled as he finally appeared next to me, and I dropped down to peer through the hole I found.

"Looks like it heads downwards," I said, taking a few tentative steps into the tunnel. "Come on, it's big enough. I'll go in front so you've got a bit of light."

Link knelt wordlessly and crawled into the tight space as I picked my way through. There wasn't much point in flying through there; it was so tight that I wouldn't be able to do much anyway, besides waste my energy. So I walked a few steps in front of Link as he shuffled through the space, grunting and huffing the whole way.

"Whoa!"

I managed to collect myself when the ground disappeared beneath my feet, rising just a little to peer down.

I did, however, forget to warn Link that there was a hole.

He gave a shout as he lost his balance, sliding head first down into the mirky blackness. I heard a splash and a curse beneath me.

Oops.

"Sorry!" I called down after him, descending after him. "Forgot you can't fly! Haha!"

"Yeah, thanks."

I couldn't help giggling stupidly as I caught sight of him. Link was sitting on his butt in the middle of a murky pond, absolutely sodden. There were clumps of moss all over him, and he glowered up at me with his hat askew.

"Sorry," I snickered out. "But you look so stupid right now, I can't help it."

"Don't make me imprison you in my hat!"

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me!"

I burst into another fit of giggles, and perched on his shoulder as he pulled himself out of the water.

My laughter stopped though as abruptly as it began.

"It's getting worse," I whispered, feeling Link crouch into a defensive stance. "We must be getting close…I can feel it."

"Where's it coming from?" He whispered back, and I cast my senses around.

"Through there…" I pointed at a gnarled, gaping hole in the wood that appeared to open into another cavernous room. "There's only one thing that could have made those marks. Teeth."

"It has _teeth_?" Link squeaked, and I lay a hand on his neck.

"It'll be okay…the Great Deku Tree wouldn't have asked for you if you couldn't handle it."

Link appeared to be panicking for a moment, but he collected himself. Eventually, he managed a stiff nod. "Let's go."

I stayed on his shoulder as he picked his way forward. A pungent mist had risen around us, making it even harder to see. We followed my nose, following the disgusting smell through the hole in the wood.

As the cavern widened around us, something rustled nearby.

"Be careful," I whispered, but it was probably about as necessary as a pixie parade at that moment. Link was already on his guard, eyes casting around for the source of the noise.

"There!"

As soon as he'd said it, something roared.

I shrieked in fright and took off, dodging as Link rolled to the side. The mist broke as gigantic, claw like fingers came crashing down, embedding themselves into the wood. Around us, the squeaking, chattering sounds of smaller monsters could be heard, and from my position I could see miniature copies of the giant beast in front of us.

Babies.

This thing was reproducing inside the Great Deku Tree.

I had to fight off the nausea and urge to retch, swinging down by Link as he drew his slingshot.

"Kill the babies first!" I shrieked, avoiding another of those massive claws.

Link cursed as he rolled out of its way, pulling out his deku seeds as he did so.

"I can't see!" the mist was so thick now that Link was having trouble aiming.

"At me!" I shouted back. "Aim at me!"

I flew over to one of the ugly babies, trying to give Link something to shoot at.

"I can't aim at you! What if I hit you!"

He had to roll away again as the arachnoid monster slammed down her claws, shrieking in fury.

"Just do it!" I screamed back at him.

I was so busy trying to see if he was okay that I was too slow avoiding one of the monsters attacks, and it caught me, throwing me off balance onto the misty floor. Pain rattled its way through my body, but I ignored it, trying to get up.

Being tiny has its disadvantages.

While one of those babies might not have been trouble for Link, the one bearing down on me now was enough to crush me if it let its body weight drop. I could see it's feral red eye gleaming down at me, and I screamed, too weak from its blow to fly out of the way fast enough.

"LINK!"

The beast above me squawked angrily as something hit it, and I tried to find the source of the seed. Link was trying to knock the baby arachnid aside as he simultaneously avoided the attacks of the angry mother. It's eye was wide, glare red and feral as it searched for him.

I noticed then the thing that would eventually save us. This thing might have been huge, but it wasn't very bright.

"Get the babies!" I shouted at Link again. "Get behind it and kill the babies! It's too slow to figure out where you are right away!"

Link had to practically throw himself out of the way of the descending arachnid again, and I tried to pull myself up as the weakness from the baby's blow subsided.

There were two more bearing down on Link, and as I managed to get up I flew over to them both, blinding them with the light my body gave off enough to confuse them. The mother was scurrying around the cavern trying to figure out where we were, giving Link enough time to aim.

He shot one deku seed at one of the babies, causing it to squeal and curl in on itself. The other, however, took a leap at him and knocked him flat before he could load another seed. He threw it off, being marginally bigger, and straightened again before a roar sounded through the cavern.

The mother had found us again.

"_Move!_" I shouted at Link as she reared, and he scuttled out of its way, still winded from the smaller beast.

As he got around her again, he took aim at the remaining baby, firing another seed at it. It shrieked and did the same as the other babies, curling in on itself as the deku seed went straight through it.

"I'm running out of seeds!" Link called to me as I flew over to him.

"You don't need many, I know how this thing can be taken out!" I zipped up to where the monster was trying to search for us, and her bulbous eye fixed itself on me.

"Get it in the eye!" I shouted at Link. "She keeps protecting it when she's attacking! I'll distract her and you shoot at it!"

I zoomed around the monsters body before Link had time to respond, causing her to follow me. I aggravated her a bit more, before flying back so she was facing Link. He had a seed notched, ready to fire.

"Now!" He shouted as he loosed the seed. I just barely managed to avoid it, dropping out of the air like a dead fly as that ugly looking eyeball followed me.

A piercing wail told me that Link had hit his mark.

"One more!" I cried from the ground beneath the monster. One wrong move and she'd squish me like a bug. But she was stunned and disoriented, and weak from her repeated attacks at us.

One of her hind legs rose as she tried to turn, and I could see its shadow falling over me. I screamed as it came down, not fast enough to get out of the way.

I heard Link shout once more, but I'm not really sure what he said. I was transfixed as the gargantuan limb descended, everything slowing down in those few moments where I was certain I was going to die.

But the crushing weight never came. The monster shrieked again, and I closed my eyes, pressing my hands against my ears as the noise became deafening.

I felt the ground rumble, and a rush of air had me rolling like a buffeted windsock.

And then silence.

"Navi?"

Link's breathless voice broke the eerie quiet, and I felt him pick me up. I sat up in his hands, eyes wide as I tried to collect myself.

"Did you kill it?" I asked weakly.

He nodded. "Yeah…it's dead."

I exhaled hard, and let myself flop back against his fingers, feeling all my strength go as relief washed over me.

"You did it," I said, smiling weakly up at him.

"Come on," was Link's response. "Let's get out of here."

By the time we got out of the depths of the tree, twilight was falling over the meadow. I was dozing on Link's shoulder when the sounds of padding feet jerked me out of it, and I sat up to realize he was surrounded by babbling Kokiri.

Link seemed overwhelmed, and I furrowed a brow as I tried to figure out why that would be. They were all asking if he was okay, what had happened and bombarding him with questions about it. Some of them were giving me curious looks too, but I ignored them.

Some of the fairies descended and settled beside me on Link's shoulder, causing the children to stare in surprise. I guess they'd never seen so many of us in one spot.

My sisters were asking if I was okay as well, and what had gone on. From what I could gather, the wails the monster had given off had echoed up and down the lengths of the Deku Tree. I could only imagine how terrified my kin were. Actually, check that.

I had absolutely perfect understanding of how terrified they were.

_Link…_

A collective hush fell over the meadow as the Deku Tree spoke.

_Well done, Link. Thou hast killed the monster that infected my body._

He didn't sound any better than before. I stared up at him from where I was, my lip trembling at just how awful he looked.

_Unfortunately, the curse could not be broken._

A gasp sounded through the people gathered there, and Link sank to the ground, me still on his shoulder.

"But…we killed the monster," Link said weakly. He sounded like he was pleading. "You said that would break it, didn't you?"

_I did, but I was wrong. I was doomed before you began._

"No," I whispered, clutching a wayward lock of Link's hair to keep myself upright.

_Before I depart, I want to tell you a most important piece of information. Listen well_.

The Kokiri around us began to sit as well, and my fairy kin helped me off Link's shoulder to move aside so they could help me with my own recovery. Our ears were all attuned though, listening to the Great Deku Tree's story.

_Some three nights past, an evil man from the desert came to this place. He demanded I give him our most precious heirloom so that he may increase his power throughout this land. When I refused, he placed this curse upon me. There is only one reason why he would be seeking this item in my care. _

_Do you know of the Sacred Realm, my children?_

The Kokiri shook their heads, transfixed. Link was sitting in front of all of them, staring up at the Deku Tree in utmost fascination. It was almost ironic that they were being taught the most important lesson of their lives while the Deku Tree was dying.

_The Sacred Realm is a place created by the goddesses themselves, to guard the most sacred relic of our land. In order to open the gate to the Sacred Realm, one needs special items of utmost importance, bestowed upon the guardians of the land to act as a key. The man who came to me demanding this item could only be after it for that reason. He wishes to enter the Sacred Realm and lay claim to that which resides within it. But he cannot be allowed to do that, for his heart is consumed by darkness._

There was a pause. It seemed like the Deku Tree was struggling to continue.

_Link…Navi…_

Some eyes flicked towards me, but the rest stayed on the Deku Tree.

_You must take this item to Hyrule Castle, where the Princess of Destiny waits. Speak with her, for she will be able to guard this relic in my stead. I hand it to you now._

The fairies around me rose, and every one of them except me formed a circle. As one, they began to sing, a tune I didn't recognize. I still have no idea whether they knew the tune or whether it was something the Deku Tree had told them while we were gone, but as they sang, glittering light descended into the circle. Gasps sounded from the Kokiri children as a glittering emerald materialized from the twinkling light, embedded in a swirl of pure gold.

The fairies raised their arms, and the emerald drifted with their magic to Link, who reached out with one hand and took it reverently.

"Great Deku Tree," Link whispered, his eyes glittering as he stared at the emerald in his hands. I shrugged off my sisters and made my way over to him, hovering beside him as we both stared up at our lifelong protector.

_My time has come, Link. Do as I will, and save this land from the darkness that has befallen it. Navi…go with Link…he will need your guidance…on his journey…make a shield from my bark to protect you…Link…_

The Deku Tree's voice was fading, and I could feel the tears streaming down my face. I couldn't speak, knowing I'd break down if I tried to utter a word. Instead, I nodded.

_I beseech thee…follow your destinies…_

_My children…goodbye…_

I don't know how long it was quiet for when the Deku Tree passed. I stayed where I was, grieving quietly as I gazed up at the grey bark of my guardian. Eventually though, soft keening began to rise around us, and I realised the other Kokiri, as well as the fairies of the forest, were all mourning as well.

Link was sitting quietly in the grass, staring unseeingly as tears streamed unbidden down his face. I wanted to comfort him, but at that point I was consumed with my own mourning and had no idea what to say.

"What are we gonna do now?"

A Kokiri's voice spoke up after some time, and the children started to collect themselves.

"We're not safe anymore without the Deku Tree…how're we gonna look after ourselves?"

"What about Link? We aren't supposed to go outside the forest!"

"Yeah, he'll die if he goes out there."

"Link, are you really…what are you doing?"

I glanced up from my position in the grass when those last words were spoken, and saw Link standing over one of the buttress roots of the Tree.

"Hey," I said quietly as I fluttered up to join him. "You okay?"

Link sniffed loudly and nodded. His eyes were still red and his jaw was set, but determination glowed in his eyes like wildfire.

"I need something to cut this bark with."

I was stumped (har har). Fairies don't really have a need to cut things, to be quite honest. Even if we did, it's not like we'd ever go for anything denser than a blade of grass. Could you imagine someone of my stature trying to cut a splinter of wood?

"I don't know what you could use," I admitted, feeling sheepish.

"Here."

Something was dropped on the ground at Link's feet, and both he and I turned in surprise at the person the voice belonged to.

Mido was standing there with his face contorted with sadness and fear, and I looked down to see a huge (to my eyes) bejeweled sword point first in the grass.

"It's the Kokiri Sword," Mido huffed, not looking at either of us. "You can't go out there without something better than that wimpy looking sling shot, you hear me!" His voice rose in pitch and I grinned quietly when I realized he was trying to hide his sadness and concern behind a veil of bravado.

Link's surprise expression softened, and he smiled.

He didn't say anything as he picked up the sword and began carving carefully into the bark of the Deku Tree.

While he was busy, my sisters took the opportunity to convene with me. Both young ones and those charged with their pupils alike came for me as I fluttered down into the grass, all of them forming a circle around me.

"Navi," my sire called to me. She was smiling as she took my face in her hands, and she leaned down to kiss my forehead. "I knew you were destined for something important. We may never know how our guardian knew you were fated for this adventure, but he would not have chosen you if you weren't worthy…"

I kept my eyes down. All this talk was making me feel stupid. Honestly, I felt anything but worthy of some great fated adventure. Anyone else could have volunteered and I'd probably shove them at it with both hands.

Heroines don't hide from their fate.

"Alas, there is no time for us to give you the proper send off, dear sister of ours," my sire continued. I felt my insides twist with bitterness at the irony. All I wanted was a great party of my own like all my sisters before me, and I wouldn't even get that.

I must have snorted or something equally un-fairylike, because my sisters stared at me a moment before they helped me to stand.

"We pray to our guardians and goddesses for your good health," they spoke in unison, and I responded with the customary in a mumble.

"I thank my sisters for their love and pray it gives me strength."

If I'd been looking anywhere but at my feet, I'd have noticed the Kokiri children watching us in awe. I didn't realize that they had never seen anything like this before, but to be honest, I didn't really care. I sort of just wanted to be alone.

Something else that set me apart, for fairies aren't solitary creatures.

Finally, when I was getting impatient enough to start buzzing around his head, Link finished with his task and held up his creation proudly.

"Looks good," I commented, ignoring the children. "Probably won't be much good on fire though."

"There's fire out there?"

I just grinned at him. "Ready to go?"

Link paused and looked at his Kokiri brethren, and while they said their goodbyes I drifted up towards the Deku Tree.

If it weren't for the sickly grey of his bark, I could almost pretend he was still with me.

_Goodbye…Great Deku Tree, _I whispered to myself.


	4. Chapter 4

"You're leaving?"

I almost shot through the tunnel leading into the woods when Link stopped. I didn't recognize the voice that spoke, but he obviously did, and I braked hard, turning to hover by his hat.

It was a girl. The girl we'd passed when I first roused him from his home. Her fairy was an older sister, one whom had left the colony before I was born. I gave her a customary signal of respect, and settled myself on Link's shoulder.

The girl was looking at him sadly, standing on the bridge halfway between the entrance to the forest and Hyrule Field.

"I always knew you'd leave the forest one day, Link."

He still didn't say anything. I don't know whether he was afraid to or simply couldn't, but I stayed silent as well.

"That's okay, though, isn't it?" She asked, and this time she looked at him as if she were pleading for an answer.

Link finally found his tongue, and swallowed before answering.

"Y…yeah. It's okay. It'll be okay."

The girl smiled, and looked at her feet, before she reached into her belt and tugged something out.

"Here…I want you to have this. It's something to remember me by when you're out there seeing the world."

Link took it, his eyes wide. "Saria, this is your Ocarina. I can't take this from you."

"Yes you can," Saria smiled, and I could see her eyes glistening slightly. "Because I'm giving it to you. I hope when you play it, you'll think of the forest some time."

Link held the instrument up, and I got a chance to inspect it properly. It was a simple little thing, carved out of pale wood inlaid with some kind of greenish sap. It looked like it was made with utmost devotion.

"Link, I…"

Before Saria could continue, I was jolted as Link stepped back. I gazed up at him imploringly, finding it rude that he'd cut her off. But I looked back to Saria and I could see her eyes were downcast, her fairy on her shoulder comforting her quietly.

"Good bye," Saria whispered.

I rose into the air as Link turned and fled.

Hyrule Field was much, much bigger than I ever gave it credit for. The stories we were told as larvae had never done it justice in my imagination. The air was warm and clean, and I couldn't help zooming around cheerfully as I felt the sun on my skin. While I was high up scoping out the area of the land, I could hear Link below conversing with the wise old owl, Kaepora Gaebora. Us fairies had known of Kaepora our whole lives. He'd made frequent visits to the forest to convene with the Deku Tree, and would sometimes bring us exotic fruits on his visits. Naturally, we liked his company.

I was happy that he was here, at least. It meant that Link would have some kind of guide around here, so I didn't worry too much about listening in. I was just excited to see the landscapes.

The owl hooted a greeting at me, which I returned to him as he departed. I fluttered back down to land on Link's shoulder, pointing him in the direction where I thought the castle might be.

"So you've met the old boy now," I said with a grin as Link started walking.

"Yeah," he said, eyes wide as he took in the same sights I was glued to. "He told me to be careful out here, basically."

"But he said it in a monologue that would rival one of the Deku Tree's?" I replied with a snicker, and Link grinned.

"Pretty much. He tried to trick me into getting him to repeat it."

"He used to do that to us. It was almost a rite of passage for a fairy to be tricked into hearing one of his stories at least twice."

Link snickered.

We fell silent for a while, navigating our way through the last, spindly trees of the forest. Both Link and I had to stop and stare when the trees finaly broke.

In front of us stood the expanse of the Hyrulean plains. To the east I could see the rise of a great mountain ringed with clouds, but the west was too far to see. Paths crisscrossed here and there, with little sign posts dotting them. I could hear the hum of a stream to the northeast, and all around us grew lush, green grass.

"Bit big," I commented blandly. Link chortled beside me.

"The Owl said the town was to the north of here. Which way is that?"

"Straight ahead."

"Well, let's go give the princess this stone. The sooner we get there, the sooner we get home."

"Sound's good to me," I replied, zipping out in front of Link as he started off.

He began at a run, but it became pretty clear to us both that the hills along the fields would tire him out far too quickly, so he slowed to a walk after a short while. I perched on his shoulder for the most part, sometimes flying up to make sure we were going the right way, sometimes zigzagging around him giggling in delight. The air was so pure and wonderful; it filled me with giddiness to be out somewhere so vast and new. I'd have so many stories to give to my sisters when I returned.

It was dark when we sighted the walls of the town. We got there as the bridge pulled itself up, and both of us made noises of irritation.

"Of course it goes up as I get here," Link said grumpily, and I had to agree. We had no choice but to camp out. Link didn't have any supplies with him though, which was a problem. I realized it had been a whole day since either of us had eaten, and I hadn't slept since the night before.

My own weariness set in like a sack of bricks, and I fluttered down onto Link's shoulder, flopping over with a grumble.

"You okay?" He asked me, and I huffed.

"I'm tired. Can you find somewhere that we can sleep for a while?"

Link nodded, and we turned away from the drawbridge to find a place to camp.

It'd have gone smoothly if the ground underneath us hadn't opened up.

Link yelled in surprise as something made a grab for him, and I shot off his shoulder in fright.

A skeletal hand had emerged from the ground and grabbed at Link's ankles, using his body to pull itself up.

"Stalkid!" I cried. "Draw your sword, Link!"

He did so, and started clumsily hacking at the bones gripping his legs.

"They're only dangerous if they get close enough to take a swing! Just hack it up!"

The Stalkid pulled itself fully from the ground, and began to stumble towards Link as he rolled himself away. He pulled his shield as well, but was still clumsy, and the bones of the skeletons fingers caught his sword arm as it swung.

I felt useless as I flew around in fear. I couldn't do anything to help besides fly around it's head to try and distract it, but it kept moving towards my charge, ignoring me completely.

"Come on, Link," I pleaded with him, seeing the fear in his eyes. "Cut it to bits!"

Eventually, he managed to collect himself and regain balance. With a few clumsy swings of his sword he managed to hit it enough times that the Stalkid eventually fell apart at his feet, leaving us both on edge.

"Come on," I said, zooming back around Link's head. "Let's find somewhere safe, there could be more."

"Hang on," Link bent down and started picking through the bones. I couldn't help but screw my nose up in disgust.

"Look at this!"

Link picked up a pouch that must have been stuck to the Stalkid. Inside were some pieces of dried meat.

"Why would a Stalkid have food?" I questioned, and Link just shrugged.

"Beats me, but it's enough until we can find something proper."

We retreated quickly, finding shelter in a small group of trees nearby.

I came to rest on the grass by Link's foot as he pulled out the meat, inspecting it.

"It's safe," I said tiredly. "I'd know if it was going to poison you."

"How do you know that?"

I shrugged.

"You knew what that thing was, too. Do all fairies?"

I shook my head, trying to figure it out.

"I don't know," I said after a few minutes. "It popped up and I just knew. Maybe the Princess can tell us. Or I'll ask the old boy when he comes flying back around."

Link nodded, and bit into the meat. It didn't seem overly pleasant, but he offered me some.

"I don't eat that stuff," I said, trying to make myself comfortable in the grass. "Only eat berries and nuts."

"Here, have one of my deku seeds then."

I perked up when he pulled one out, cracking it open on a stone and handing it to me.

"Thank you!" I said gleefully, pulling out the soft core of the seed.

I'm ashamed to say I gobbled it up in a very un-fairy like manner. But it was enough to quell my hunger, at least.

I returned to the little nest I was trying to make in the grass, making frustrated noises as the dried blades refused to give.

"Here." Link's hat landed on the ground beside me, and I looked up at him in confusion. "Sleep on it," he said, waving one hand. "I don't need it right now."

I stared at him for a few minutes, feeling confused. To this day, I'm not really sure why. I guess in hindsight it's because we'd met only hours earlier, and yet he was trying to make me as comfortable as he could in the dicky situation we were in.

At the time though I just nodded, and pulled at the edges of the hat until it made a comfortable little nest for me to sleep in.

It was silent for a while, my thoughts running away with me. Link was still awake, probably skittish from the surprise the Stalkid gave us.

"Link?" I said after a while, and I felt his attention fix itself on me. "Why didn't you have a fairy before?"

Link's shoulders sagged, and I felt bad asking him. It must have been a sore spot.

"I don't know," he said, picking at some grass near his boots. "I never did. I always used to ask the Deku Tree when I'd get one, and he always just told me to be patient."

That stirred a memory in me, and I sat up.

I used to ask the Deku Tree the same thing. 'When would I get a child?' He'd always answer me in the exact same way.

Patience.

I frowned, staring at my hands.

"Did the other fairies tease you, too?" Link asked, and I sensed old wounds in his voice.

Sadly, I shook my head. "No, it's not in our nature to do that. I was weird, though. They always knew I was just a bit off."

Link looked away.

"I always thought when my fairy would come to me, I'd be able to stand up to Mido and the others and tell them what I thought of them. Maybe pay them back for their teasing. I always thought my fairy and me would be unstoppable, be like best friends."

"Who said we aren't unstoppable?" I asked indignantly, and Link grinned faintly.

"Everything just turned out different," he said. "Maybe when we get back I'll be able to set things right."

Silence fell again, and I settled back down into my hat-nest.

It took us both a long time to doze off.

The sun on my face woke me up. It was warm and inviting, and I sat up to see Link already awake and ready to go.

Well, almost ready.

"Can I have my hat back, sleepyhead?" He asked me with a wry grin, and I flitted off my makeshift bed, letting him pick it back up.

"And you were calling me the lazy one," he teased. I huffed and flew forward to bump against his forehead indignantly. He laughed, fixing his hat back in place on his wayward hair, before making sure everything was in its place.

"Let's go," he said with a gleam in his eye.

Hyrule Castle Town was a busy place. When we set foot in there (or wing, I guess, if you feel like putting it that way), Link was almost immediately barreled over by a young girl chasing her dog.

"Sorry!" She called to him as she caught herself and disappeared into the crowd. I fluttered down to sit on Link's shoulder, marveling at so many people.

"Where do we go from here?"

He stared helplessly around the centre of the marketplace, trying to figure out the same thing.

"Do you think if we go ask someone they'll tell us how to get to the castle?" Link said timidly. I shrugged, though I doubt he could see it.

"Maybe. It won't hurt, at least."

He nodded, and with me sticking close to his body, he weaved his way through the babbling ruckus of the people. To me, they were absolutely huge. I'd never seen anyone bigger than the Kokiri children before, so these people were giants. Judging by the look on Link's face, he thought the same.

Several times he tried to stop people and ask them for help, and each time they shooed him away. They were all too busy with their own tasks to pay attention to a strangely dressed little kid. They usually gave him a sideways glance and went back to what they were doing. A couple sitting by the fountain openly told him to go away, and after a few more failed attempts, Link shuffled over to an awning by one of the doors to these strange stone buildings.

"I'll get lost if I keep going in circles," he huffed dejectedly.

"They aren't very nice, are they?" I commented, watching the people ignore us.

"Excuse me?"

Both Link and I turned to see who had spoken to us, and I promptly hid beneath the curve of his hat.

It was a young girl, only a tiny bit taller than Link, and she had a cheerful face as she gazed down at him curiously.

Link seemed to have no idea what to do, so he made a noise that sounded like an 'uh'?

"Smooth," I whispered to him from my hiding spot, and I felt his skin heat up.

The girl laughed and clapped her hands together, startling us both.

"You're a fairy boy from the forest, aren't you?" She asked, eyes gleaming. She had flaming red hair, a shade neither of us had ever seen on a person before, and her hands were clasped in front of her chest.

"Uh?" Was Link's extremely coherent reply.

The girl laughed again, and I peeked out from behind Link's ear.

Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and I ducked away again.

"Oh, you _do _have a fairy! That's so cute! I always wanted to meet someone from the forest! What's your name, fairy boy?"

Link spluttered a bit, but I pinched him and he blurted out his name.

"Link, huh? That's a weird name. My name is Malon! Do you want to play with me?"

"Play?"

"We don't have time to play," I hissed at him. "We have to go see the princess!"

Link, for the first time out of many, completely ignored me.

"Sure! I'll play with you."

Malon squealed in delight, and I rose into the air as Link stood, dusting himself off.

I'm not really embarrassed to say I was exceedingly grumpy with the new development. We had a job to do, and I wanted to get it done! And here was Mister Lazy, taking his time to indulge his own whims.

In hindsight, though, I know it was important for him to experience things like this. To know that there is good in the world.

Link spent the rest of the morning with Malon. I followed sulkily, being a constant raincloud that Link cheerfully ignored. She took him to the shooting gallery, where he won a new pouch for his seeds when he hit all the targets. It took him a few goes, but eventually he did it. They went to the mask shop, where a creepy looking man let them borrow his masks, and ran around the village bothering strangers while they wore them.

She took him to the bombchu alley and the bazaar, where Link could only stare at the strange contraptions. I was surprised to see, in the bazaar, one of my fairy kin in a bottle to be sold to the highest bidder. I felt a bit indignant at that, but she just smiled at me from within her glass prison, and I figured if she was okay with it then I had to be too.

Link tried new food he'd never even seen before, bought with funny looking gems that Malon called 'rupees'. She laughed when he looked at them with such awe, and was amazed to find out that the Kokiri traded things they needed with one another instead of having this sort of currency.

Sometimes Malon would look at me curiously. Once or twice I caught her reaching out to touch me, but I darted away from her dirty fingers before she could, hissing angrily. Link apologized for my behavior, but I just turned my nose up and pretended not to notice.

It's not that I didn't like Malon. She was a cheerful girl, teaching Link things that would eventually become invaluable knowledge. She was always smiling, even when I was rude to her, and found humour in everything.

But I was still prioritizing our job over her. I felt like nothing was more important in the world than finding the princess and giving her the Deku Tree's stone. It annoyed me that Link didn't have the same priorities, so I took it out on her.

Not that my wrath was intimidating. I was about as scary as an angry fly. But it's the thought that counts.

The sun had started to descend by the time the shops were closing. The market place was clearing of people, the angry giants returning to their homes to be angry about other things other than expensive food. By this time, I had given up trying to get Link to pay attention to me, and had taken to sulking inside of his hat. It smelled like him, and that was comforting a little. I took the opportunity to doze as I saw fit, only coming out when he asked for me.

I was inside his hat when I heard Malon ask him where his parents were.

"I don't have any," he replied matter of factly, and it sounded like he was eating. My own stomach growled, and I decided to slip out and see if I could get my hands on anything.

Malon's expression was clear as I slipped down the front of Link's shirt, settling on his wrist as I stared at the meat he was tearing into. She was looking at him sadly, as though he were missing something important. Or like she felt sorry for him.

I scoffed inwardly.

"You don't have any? What happened to them?" She asked, eyes wide.

Link shrugged.

"Never did. The Deku Tree told me I was in the forest when I was a baby."

"Oh."

She was quiet for a minute, for once not laughing or giggling, and I gave her a curious look.

"Well, my Dad hasn't come back yet," she said loudly, startling us both. "He said he would be back hours ago, but I haven't seen him. The old coot probably fell asleep _again_."

"Where'd he go?" Link asked half heartedly, picking at the meat in his hands. I started kicking his fingers in an effort to get him to pay attention to me. I didn't like speaking in front of this girl, out of spite alone.

"To the castle," Malon said offhandedly and both Link and I stared at her. "He was supposed to deliver some milk, but he didn't come back on time. It's okay, he never does." She grinned, taking another bite of her meal.

"I'm going to the castle," Link said proudly, thumbing his chest. The action made me fall off his arm with a squeak, and I buzzed angrily around his head.

Malon's eyes brightened. "You are? Do you think you could find him for me?"

I was about to protest, but Link was already nodding.

"Yep, we'll find him and bring him back. I'll go right now! Where do I go?"

Malon smiled widely, and grabbed Link's hand, dragging him out of their resting place to point northward.

"Follow that path there, and it'll take you straight to the castle."

"Will I be allowed in at this time of day?"

Malon shrugged. "They let Dad in no matter what time he gets there. Probably because he tells 'em the milk'll spoil, but who knows. Off you go!"

She gave him a little push, causing him to stumble, and clasped her hands behind her back with a wide grin.

"I'll wait here for you to come back. See you soon!"

Link just nodded.

I'd already flown ahead to inspect the path leading the way up, and by the time Link joined me, we could hear Malon singing to herself by the fountain.

"She's strange."

Link gave me a curious look, and I purposely flew high over his head so he couldn't see my expression.

"She seemed okay to me. Why, did you sense something?"

I just huffed. At the time, I was too proud to admit that I was jealous, but now I can easily say so. Link was my companion, and we'd both been charged with an important task. And yet it didn't seem to matter to him as soon as a pretty girl smiled at him.

Either way, I firmly denied it, shrugging it off with an offhand comment about her hair.

Link just laughed at me.

The sun was still barely peeking above the hill line when we reached the gate of the castle. There was a solitary guard standing there, almost like stone, with a blank look on his face.

Link marched right up to him and demanded he be allowed in.

Naturally, the guard practically peed himself laughing.

"Look, kid, I know it's real cool to see the Royals, but no one is getting through these gates without official clearance."

Link frowned, and crossed his arms.

"I have official clearance. The Deku Tree told me to come and see Princess Zelda!"

That set the guard off again. He slapped his knee in his laughter, and I zipped down to settle behind Link's ear.

"I don't think we should be telling him too much," I whispered, watching the guard with a frown. "You just sound crazy to him. Maybe we can find another way in."

The guard was still laughing as Link turned away.

There was a patch of vines hidden behind a curve in the path, out of sight of the guard by the gate. I gestured to it, and in a flash, Link had climbed the vines and crawled over the top of the hill. We realized that the gate the guard stood by didn't extend over the hillside.

"For a royal barricade, it's not very impressive," I said snidely, and Link snickered.

He wove through the flowerbeds around the front of the castle grounds, skirting around guards and servants tending the small field.

Honestly, it was really poorly secured.

We made it through the gates, and snuck around trying to find a way in. On a whim, I followed the water in the moat around the side of the castle and found a drain small enough for Link to crawl through.

My surprise at the situation, however, came from the fat old man snoozing happily by a side door.

"Link," I hissed, catching his attention. "Over here, there's a way in."

I, for one, was ignoring the snoring old coot, but Link furrowed a brow when he inspected him.

"Can you read what's on his overalls?" Link asked me, and I fluttered down closer to have a look.

"Lon Lon Ranch," I said, returning to Link's shoulder. "That must be Malon's dad. Do you want to do the honours, or will I?"

Link grinned, and bent down to shake the man awake.

He started loudly, making me retreat behind Link's hat again, and I heard him grumble.

"What's the bloomin' time?"

His voice was younger than he looked, which was surprising. Link backed up a step or two, and I figured the old man must have stood.

"I don't know," Link said, and I peeked out from behind him.

The man was definitely Malon's father. I could tell just by looking at him.

"That's him," I whispered, and Link turned his head, buffeting me a little with his hat. I squeaked in indignation.

"Uh, are you Malon's Dad?"

"That I am," the man responded. "Name's Talon. Purveyor of the finest milk Hyrule has to offer. Why's that, son?"

"She's looking for you."

Talon blanched, and looked around him wide eyed.

"Oh man, I messed up bad. She's gonna let me have it! Thanks kid, if I get out of this alive, come visit me at the ranch!"

Without another word, Talon pushed past Link and I and ran for the gate. Well, if you could call his stumbling, fat-man gait a run.

I collapsed into giggles at the thought of someone as tiny as Malon giving a man as big as Talon a piece of her mind.

Link gave me a quizzical look, and I shrugged, still chortling in amusement.

He turned back to the task at hand, hands on his hips as he looked at the drain I'd pointed out earlier.

"Ew, I have to go through there? Who knows what's in the water," he said, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"It's that or get caught by the guards," I said idly, fluttering forward to inspect the hole. "It doesn't look like it goes far. C'mon, it might be the only way we can get in."

And to 'encourage' him (I use that word anyway; the right word would probably be 'force') to follow me, I disappeared into the tunnel. I snickered as I heard his groan of complaint, but a splash told me he'd got down to come after me.

I was right, it was a rather short drain. It seemed like it filtered the water out of a pond on one of the courtyards.

I zipped through, noting the tall hedges surrounding the pathways through the open grounds, taking in how…pompous it looked.

That and about a hundred guards all wandering around aimlessly.

Well, maybe not a hundred.

But there was a lot.

I doubled back into the tunnel, where Link was grumbling as he splashed his way through, to warn him to be quiet.

He was soaking wet when he emerged, and I couldn't help but snicker at the expression on his face. He followed me behind one of the hedges, wringing out the bottom of his tunic.

"How're we gonna get past them?" He asked, peeking through to watch the guards wandering.

I flew to perch near the top of one of the bushes and watched them for a moment, taking in their routine.

No wonder it was so easy for this place to fall into shambles once things went right down the drain. The guards were practically useless.

I dropped back down to Link's shoulder to inform him.

"They're just wandering. They aren't even paying much attention. I bet if you snuck around behind the hedges or something, they wouldn't even see you. Just keep quiet. I'll hide in your hat so they don't see me.

I don't know how close Link came to getting caught. A couple of times I heard him curse and was jolted as he moved quickly, but all I could see was the dark green of the inside of his hat as he moved.

I did hear a couple of the guards asking one another if they heard something, but they obviously weren't concerned, because there was no shout telling us to stop.

It took probably half an hour or so before Link finally breathed easily again, and I peeked out from under the brim of his hat.

"Clear?" I asked in a whisper.

"Yeah," he whispered back.

I returned to my place on his shoulder and glanced up at the huge archway we'd made it to. It lead through to what looked like a courtyard, but it was hard to see exactly what was in there.

"Alright, let's go see what's next," Link muttered.

He stepped carefully through the archway and I remained quiet on my perch, casting around for danger.

The courtyard opened up before us, and I could finally see where we were.

It was a nice little place. Flowers blossomed in their beds in bright colours, and a little fountain sat in the middle. Huge, stained glass windows set into the stone of the castle shone colourful light onto the grass, stone paths circling the flowerbeds underfoot.

But that's not what had our attention.

At the other end, up a small set of stairs where a bench and table sat, stood a girl. She was facing away from us, but the way she was dressed was all I needed to know to figure out exactly who she was.

"Princess Zelda."

* * *

_**I'd love to hear what y'all think of this so far. I've got a butt ton of hits, but few reviews. If you read, drop me a line saying whether you'd be interested in seeing this pan out further. I'm not sure if i can commit to the time to write the entire arc if people aren't interested.**_

_**so uh. yeah. hit me up if you wanna see more.**_


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